Gun hanger

ABSTRACT

The gun hanger includes an elongated strip of metal bent for form an inverted generally U-shaped body with spaced legs. The legs are arcuate in cross section and their terminal portions are inset toward one another from the body to form a pair of laterally opposed gripping members. The inset gripping members are coated with plastic rubber to grip about the end of a gun barrel. A clasp is slideably along the legs to displace the gripping members toward and away from one another thereby to frictionally retain the gun end between the gripping members. A hook is connected to the body at its upper end whereby the gun may be suspended.

United States Patent [72] inventor Ben l'luver Laurel, Mont. [21] Appl. No. 885,137 [22] Filed Dec. 15, 1969 [45] Patented Nov. 16, 1971 [731 Assignees Daniel J. Korn, Sr.;

Merritt N. Warden; Wm. C. Walterskirchen, Kalllspell, Mont. part interest to each Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 785,623, Dec. 20, 1968, now Patent No. 3,556,454, which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 647,437, June 20, 1967, now Patent No. 3,468,508, dated Sept. 23, 1969. This application Dec. 15, 1969, Ser. No. 885,137

[54] GUN HANGER 8 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 248/360, 24/260 [51] Int. Cl ..A47b 81/00, 'A47f 5/00 [50] Field of Search 248/260,

316 R, 136 D, l13;24/260, 257 R; 21 l/64 Primary ExaminerChancellor E. Harris Attorney-LeBlanc & Shur ABSTRACT: The gun hanger includes an elongated strip of metal bent for form an inverted generally U-shaped body with spaced legs. The legs are arcuate in cross section and their terminal portions are inset toward one another from the body to form a pair of laterally opposed gripping members. The inset gripping members are coated with plastic rubber to grip about the end of a gun barrel. A clasp is slideably along the legs to displace the gripping members toward and away from one another thereby to frictionally retain the gun end between the gripping members. A hook is connected to the body at its upper end whereby the gun may be suspended.

PATENTEDHUV 1s ISTI 8, 620,493

INVENTOR BEN HUVER BY 32%. 4r 5 ATTORNEYS GUN HANGER This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Ser. No. 785,623 filed Dec. 20, I968, now US. Pat. No. 3,556,454 which application is in turn a continuationin-part of copending application Ser. No. 647,437 filed June 20, I967 now U.S. Pat. No. 3,468,508 issued Sept. 23, I969.

The present invention relates to supports and more particularly relates to a gun hanger adapted to support a gun by the end of its barrel in a depending vertical position from a hook or the like.

Prior support for guns and the like have usually taken the form of a base support plate adapted to be secured to a wall and having a pair of support members projecting therefrom on which the gun may be disposed for display in a horizontal position. Other types of gun supports have also been provided in the form of racks whereby a plurality of guns may be supported by a single rack with the butts of the guns lying on a horizontal base and the inclined vertically extending barrels received in slots horizontally spaced along upper portions of the rack. These types of gun supports, however, have proven unsatisfactory in certain respects as the former type are primarily for display, require substantial construction, and are not usually provided in gun storage areas, for example, closets or the like while the latter type have great bulk, are unwieldly and are primarily utilized to store a large number of guns. Moreover, there is always the possibility of marring the gun finish when placing the guns on racks of these types as well as the danger of dislodging the gun from the support and/or rack. There is thus a need for a single gun hanger which occupies a minimum amount of space and which can be readily supported by a hook, rod or the like and which in no way mars or damages the gun.

In my above-identified copending applications, there are disclosed two forms of gun hangers which satisfactorily eliminate and/or minimize the above discussed problems associated with gun supports or hangers in current use and provide generally an improved gun hanger. In one form, the gun hanger includes an inverted cup-shaped member having an internal lining for receiving the end of the gun barrel. The lining and outer member have registering slots for receiving the gun site on the barrel end. A hook is connected to the outer member whereby the gun hanger and gun can be suspended from a rod or the like. In another form of the invention as described in the second of the above-identified applications, there is provided a birdlike cage including four rods terminate at their upper ends in a body member having a hook. Each pair of rods are terminate at their lower ends in a pair of spaced gripping members and a clasp is slideable along the rods to move the gripping members toward and away from one another to respectively grip and release the barrel of the gun. While these forms of gun hanger have proven satisfactorily, it has been found desirable to provide an improved gun hanger of more economical manufacture as well as a gun hanger which is aesthetically pleasing in appearance.

To these ends, the present invention provides a gun hanger comprising an elongated strip of metal bent to form an inverted generally U-shape body and having a hook secured thereto adjacent its upper end whereby the gun hanger and the gun can be suspended from a rod, hook, or the like. The legs of the U-shaped body are spaced one from the other and are generally arcuate in cross section. The legs diverge one from the other toward the lower end of the body and terminate in laterally opposed inset arcuate gripping members for engaging about the end of the gun barrel. A clasp is provided about the legs of the body and is slideable therealong to displace the gripping members toward and away from one another to thereby respectively grip and release the end of the gun barrel.

It is a particular feature hereof that the gripping members are provided with a plastic rubber coating whereby the gun barrel end can be gripped and the gun supported without marring or otherwise damaging the gun. The gun hanger is constructed such that the spaces between the laterally opposed gripping members can accommodate the sight on the gun barrel end.

A further significant feature of the present invention is the provision of a gun hanger which can readily receive and provide a support for a dust cover whereby the gun can be protected while in depending position. The dust cover comprises an elongated preferably plastic bag open at its lower end and closed at its upper end except for a small opening whereby the bag can be received over the gun hanger and about the gun with the small opening portion of the gun hanger.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved support or hanger for guns and the like.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved gun hanger support capable of hanging guns of various types and having barrels of varying diameters.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a support adapted to hang a gun in a depending vertical position.

It is a related object of the present invention to provide a gun hanger specifically configured to avoid damage to or interference with the sight on the muzzle of the gun.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved gun hanger which is readily and easily applied to the gun and whereby the latter may be supported in a depending vertical position.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide an improved gun hanger 'which can be readily, easily and economically manufactured and which is aesthetically pleasing in appearance.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide an improved gun hanger constructed as to readily receive and provide a support for a dust cover for protecting the gun.

These and further objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon reference to the following specification, appended claims and drawings wherein:

FIG. I is an elevational view of a gun hanger constructed in accordance with the present invention and illustrating the gun in a position depending therefrom with both the gun hanger and gun being disposed within a dust cover;

F IG. 2 is a perspective view of the gun hanger hereof;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view thereof taken generally about on lines 3-3 in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the gripping members which form a part of the gun hanger, which view is generally taken about on line 4-4 in FIG. 2.

Referring now to the drawings, there is illustrated in FIG I a gun hanger constructed in accordance with the present invention and generally indicated at 10, a typical gun which may be supported by the gun hanger I0 and generally indicated at I2, gun 12 having a barrel B, and'a dust cover for both the gun hanger and gun and generally indicated at 14. Referring to FIG 2, gun hanger 10 comprises an elongated strip of material S. preferably steel, formed to provide an inverted generally U- shaped body 16 having a pair of laterally spaced legs 18. When the gun hanger is formed of metal, strip S is bent medially of its ends as at 20 to form U-shaped body 16. It will be appreciated, however, that body 16 can be formed of other materials, such as molded plastic. The legs I8 diverge one from the other from medial portion 20, and for reasons as will become apparent, the width of each leg 18 increases in a direction toward its distal end. Portion 20 is provided with a central opening 21 as to receive the lower end of a hook 22. The lower end is peened as at 24 whereby the hook is retained on body I6.

To strengthen the gun hanger, to provide it with generally aesthetically pleasing appearance, and to accommodate the cylindrical barrel of the gun, the legs 18 of body 16 are arcuate in cross section as particularly illustrated in FIG. 3. the arcuate legs increasing in radius toward the distal ends thereof in FIG. 3, the diverging legs 18 terminate at their lower ends in laterally opposed, spaced, inset gripping members 26 which are likewise arcuate in cross section as seen in FIG. 4. The members 26 are inset toward one another or otherwise contact the intermediate upwardly converging portions of the legs 18 when the gun barrel is secured between members 26 as will be described.

To insure that the gun barrel is not marred or otherwise damaged whensuspended from gun hanger 10, the gripping members 26 are provided with a coating, preferably of a plastic rubber material, about both their inside and outside arcuate surfaces. This coating is indicated at 30 in FIGS. 2 and 4. Other types of protective coating materials could be applied as desired but the plastic rubber coatingis preferred due to its economy of application to the gun hanger during manufacture. The coating can be simply applied to the gripping members as a liquid and dried under extreme heat rendering its application a relatively simple process and inexpensive to manufacture.

1n the preferred form, legs 18 diverge one from the other as to provide a relatively large space or opening between gripping members 26 whereby the end of the gun barrel can be readily received therebetween. To displace the legs and hence the gripping members 26 toward one another as to engage about and retain the end of a gun barrel therebetween, for example barrel B, and also to permit displacement of gripping members 26 away from one another as to release the gun bar- 7 rel, there is provided a clasp 32 which is axially slideable along body 16. Clasp 32 is fonned as to provide a positive type displacement of legs 18 toward and away from one another and hence a positive displacement of members 26 toward and away from one another in response to movement of the clasp in respective axial directions along body 16. To effect this positive displacement, clasp 32 comprises a wire bent to a substantially split oval configuration as seen in FIG. 3. The arcuate end portions 34 of oval shaped clasp 32 substantially complement the arcuate cross-sectional shape of the legs 18 past above members 26. End portions 36 are reversely bent as to form a slot 38 for receiving an edge of each leg 18 on the same side of body 16. The reversely bent end portions 36 in cooperation with the arcuate end portions 34 of clasp 32 lock the clasp 32 to body 16 while permitting axial sliding movement of clasp 32 along body 16. Particularly, the edges of legs 18 are locked within clasp end portions 36. Sliding movement of clasp 32 along body 16 thus positively displaces legs 18 toward and away from one another in response to axial movement of said clasp respectively toward and away from members 26.

In use, clasp 32 is displaced axially along body 16 toward hook 22 whereby legs 18 are positively displaced away from one another to provide an enlarged opening 38 between the gripping members 26 at the lower end of the hanger. The natural bias of legs 18 in a direction away from one another facilitates the movement of the members 26 away from one another. The gun barrel can then be received in the enlarged opening between gripping members 26. It is important to note that the gripping members 26 are configured such that when the gun barrel is finally secured between the gripping members, in a manner as will presently be described, the gunsight 40 on the end of the barrel can be located between either of the two openings to either side of gripping members 26, Le, the spaces between the edges of the gripping members. With the gun barrel thus disposed, clasp 32 can be displaced along body 16 toward gripping members 26 to thereby displace the latter toward one another and hence grip and lock the end of the gun barrel I between gripping members 26. The plastic rubber coatin'g'about gripping members 26 provides a frictional, slightly resilient grip about gun barrel B whereby the weight of the gun can be fully supported from the gun hanger 10.

If desired, a dust cover 14 can then be disposed over both the gun hanger l and about gun l2. Particularly, dust cover 14 preferably comprises a plastic envelope opening at its lower end 42 and closed at its upper end except for a small opening 44 through which can be received the hook 22. Hence, the dust cover can be slipped over the gun hanger and then over the gun with the hook 22 being received through opening 44. The gun hanger may then be supported by a hook or the like not shown, projecting from a wall or a rod, such as for example, found in a closet.

In a preferred form, hereof, the length of the gun hanger is about 10 inches with the inset gripping members having a length of about 1% inches. The plastic rubber coating is preferably applied about the gripping members and to portions of the legs 18 just about the gripping members as to provide a coating for a distance extending approximately two inches from the tips of members 26. The clasp 32 is preferably formed of 5/32 inch round wire and has a length preferably of 1 15/16 inches along its long axis and a radius of A inch at either end for engaging about the lower arcuate portions of legs 18. The legs 18 are preferably formed to about a 7/ 1 6ths radius adjacent the lower end thereof with the radius diminishing along body 16 in a direction toward hook 22.

It will thus be appreciated that the foregoing described gun hanger fully accomplishes the objects of the present invention in that the gun hanger can be economically manufactured from substantially a single strip of steel and a pair of wires. The plastic rubber coating can be readily and easily applied about the gripping members whereby the gun barrel cannot be marred or otherwise damaged.

1 claim:

1.,A hanger for a gun having a barrel comprising an inverted generally U-shaped body having a pair of leg portions terminating at their lower endsin a pair of laterally spaced gripping members, said gripping members extending generally symmetrically with respect to one another on opposite sides of a vertical plane containing said leg portions, said gripping members having arcuate cross sections and defining an opening between the concave surfaces thereof to receive the end of a gun barrel, means carried by said body for displacing said gripping members toward one another for engagement about a gun Ser. No. 885,137 barrel and away from one another to release the gun barrel, each of said gripping members including a lining of resilient material about the concave surface thereof for protecting the gun barrel and providing a surface area for frictional engagement with the gun barrel sufficient, when the gun barrel is engaged by the members, to support the gun, and means carried by said body for supporting said gun hanger and the gun. a

2. A gun hanger according to claim 1 wherein said lining comprises a plastic rubber coating.

3. A gun hanger according to claim I wherein said displacing means is movable lengthwise along said body in one direction to move said gripping members toward one another.

4. A gun hanger according to claim 1 wherein said displacing means is movable lengthwise along said body in one direction to move said gripping members toward one another, said displacing means being movable lengthwise along said body in the opposite direction to obtain movement of said gripping members away from one another.

5. A gun hanger according to claim 1 wherein said members are inset toward one another from said leg portions.

6. A gun hanger according to claim 1 wherein said body comprises an elongated strip of metal bent to form said U- shaped body, the leg portions of said body being arcuate in cross section and generally symmetrically disposed with respect to one another on opposite sides of said first-mentioned plane.

7. A gun hanger according to claim 1 including a dust cover therefor.

8. A gun hanger according to claim 4 wherein said leg portions are arcuate in cross section, said displacing means comprising a wire clasp disposed about said leg portions and terminating at opposite ends in portions engaging about a pair of laterally registering edges of said leg portions.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERIIFICA'IE OF CORRECTION Patent No 3 620 ,493 Dated November 16 1971 Invent0r(s) Ben Ver It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In the Abstract, line 2, "for" should read --to--; line 7, "slideabl'y" should read --slideable.

In Column 4, line 36, Claim 1, "gun Ser. No. 885 137 barrel" should read --gun barrel-.

Signed and sealed this L th day of July 1972.

(SEAL) Attest:

R0 BhlHT IXJTTSGl-IALK EDNARD I-Z.FLETGHER, JR.

Commissioner of Patents Attcsting Officer DRM PO-IUSO (10-69) 

1. A hanger for a gun having a barrel comprising an inverted generally U-shaped body having a pair of leg portions terminating at their lower ends in a pair of laterally spaced gripping members, said gripping members extending generally symmetrically with respect to one another on opposite sides of a vertical plane containing said leg portions, said gripping members having arcuate cross sections and defining an opening between the concave surfaces thereof to receive the end of a gun barrel, means carried by said body for displacing said gripping members toward one another for engagement about a gun barrel and away from one another to release the gun barrel, each of said gripping members including a lining of resilient material about the concave surface thereof for protecting the gun barrel and providing a surface area for frictional engagement with the gun barrel sufficient, when the gun barrel is engaged by the members, to support the gun, and means carried by said body for supporting said gun hanger and the gun.
 2. A gun hanger according to claim 1 wherein said lining comprises a plastic rubber coating.
 3. A gun hanger according to claim 1 wherein said displacing means is movable lengthwise along said body in one direction to move said gripping members toward one another.
 4. A gun hanger according to claim 1 wherein said displacing means is movable lengthwise along said body in one direction to move said gripping members toward one another, said displacing means being movable lengthwise along said body in the opposite direction to obtain movement of said gripping members away from one another.
 5. A gun hanger according to claim 1 wherein said members are inset toward one another from said leg portions.
 6. A gun hanger according to claim 1 wherein said body comprises an elongated strip of metal bent to form said U-shaped body, the leg portions of said body being arcuate in cross section and generally symmetrically disposed with respect to one another on opposite sides of said first-mentioned plane.
 7. A gun hanger according to claim 1 including a dust cover therefor.
 8. A gun hanger according to claim 4 wherein said leg portions are arcuate in cross section, said displacing means comprising a wire clasp disposed about said leg portions and terminating at opposite ends in portions engaging about a pair of laterally registering edges of said leg portions. 